Interview with Catherine McKenzie!!!!!

Excited to announce the release of Hidden by Catherine McKenzie this week! It's a compelling novel about the complexities of marriage and the aftermath of a loss. You can read more here: http://catherinemckenzie.com/

While walking home from work one evening, Jeff Manning is struck by a car and killed. Two women fall to pieces at the news: his wife, Claire, and his co-worker Tish. Reeling from her loss, Claire must comfort her grieving son as well as contend with funeral arrangements, well-meaning family members, and the arrival of Jeff’s estranged brother, who was her ex-boyfriend. Tish volunteers to attend the funeral on her company’s behalf, but only she knows the true risk of inserting herself into the wreckage of Jeff’s life.

Told through the three voices of Jeff, Tish, and Claire, Hidden explores the complexity of relationships, the repercussions of our personal choices, and the responsibilities we have to the ones we love.

“Catherine McKenzie’s latest book may be her finest. HIDDEN explores the intersecting lives of a man, his wife, and a woman who may or may not be his mistress. Imaginatively constructed, filled with nail-biting tension and gracefully written, HIDDEN is a winner.” — Sarah Pekkanen, author of These Girls and Skipping a Beat

“What I love about this deft, intimate novel is that here are no angels or demons here, just adults—husbands, wives, mothers, fathers—leading complex, messy, very human lives. They all struggle to weigh desire against obligation, what they want against what is right. I found myself in the impossible, wonderful position of rooting for all of them—and of missing them when the book was over.” — Marisa de los Santos, author of Belong to Me and Love Walked In

“Using distinct narrative voices, Catherine McKenzie has crafted a compelling novel that kept me turning pages at a breakneck speed. Heartbreakingly honest and real, Hidden is a wonderfully relatable tale.” — Tracey Garvis Graves, New York Times bestselling author of On The Island

A graduate of McGill University in History and Law, Catherine practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. An avid skier and runner, Catherine’s novels, SPIN, ARRANGED and FORGOTTEN, are all international bestsellers. Her fourth novel, HIDDEN, will be released in June, 2013 in Canada and in Spring 2014 in the US. Her novels have been translated into French, German, Czech, Slovak and Polish. And if you want to know how she has time to do all that, the answer is: robots

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. The voices in my head?

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an writer?

A. That I get to turn the voices in my head into “real” people.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an writer?

A. Finding a way to do that.

Q.  If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?

A. If, as the main character in High Fidelity asks, time and qualifications were not an issue - an astronaut.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A. How’d You Have Time To Do That?

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A.  Pride and Prejudice.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A. Anne in Anne of Green Gables. Red hair, green eyes, freckles and chatty, chatty.

Q.  What character from all of your book are you most like?

A. I refuse to answer that question on the ground that it might incriminate me.

Q.  Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. Interesting question! I’ll pick the Harry Potter books. But only if I’m in Gryffindor.

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. I really like aspects of every season. The first green shoots of spring. A cold clear day of skiing in winter. That perfect day on the water in summer. The beauty of the fall colours.

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. My book covers are designed by my publishers so you’d have to ask the various designers. My favourite cover is the cover for SPIN. Maybe it’s because it was my first, but it just so perfectly captured the essence of the main character, Katie. That being said, the cover for my upcoming novella, SPUN (sequel to SPIN) is pretty awesome.

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. I frequently forget to bring a pen. Also, once when I was at an event with booksellers and my salesman was presenting me, people asked what I did and I said I was a lawyer (which I am, but kind of not the point).

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A. Yes. Like I mentioned above, the sequel to SPIN is coming out soon (the exact date is still being worked out, but late April or early May). And I’m working on book 5, which should be out next summer, but it’s too early to talk about it.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A.  Thanks so much for spending a little time with me in my head!